Question of Mass
by BetweenLines55
Summary: A short Solangelo Christmas story. Includes Southern Will Solace, soup kitchens and Italian Christmas traditions. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Formatting corrected.


**Sorry for the earlier format error. Don't even know what that was about. Anyways, happy holidays, I hope you enjoy this!**

Nico's hands were pruny from peeling so many potatoes. His calves had started cramping about half an hour ago (because apparently combat boots were stylish but not very big on arch support) and "Jingle Bell Rock" had played at least ten times in the last half hour to the point where he could sing the words in his sleep.

Nico couldn't remember ever being happier on Christmas.

He stood next to Will, watching the taller blond cut up the potatoes that Nico had peeled. Will's arms moved with easy, deft movements and they were standing close enough that Nico could feel the heat radiating off of Will. Every so often, Will would bump his hip next to Nico's and kiss him when he thought no one was looking. Definitely the best Christmas ever.

He'd almost been surprised how easily he'd been accepted into the Solace family for Christmas. Ms. Solace, insisting that Nico call her Daphne, had been waiting for them at the airport, dressed in a horrendous Christmas sweater and smiling bright enough to light all of Austin, Texas. Back at the Solace's family Bed and Breakfast, Nico had met Will's stepdad Harry and been pulled, head first, into Solace family Christmas.

There had been lots of food: a roast, rice pudding, three kinds of pie, green beans, mashed potatoes—enough food to make Nico think that he wasn't going to be able to eat until the New Year. After dinner, he'd sat between Will's legs, reclined against his boyfriend's broad chest while the southerner took a paring knife to peel an apple that had been left in the bottom of his stocking.

"Are you having a good time?" Will had asking, sucking some juice off his thumb.

"Best Christmas ever." Nico had answered, "Well, the best Christmas I remember, anyways."

Will had kissed the back of his neck a few times before asking again, "Do you remember anything with your mom and sister?"

Nico shrugged, "Maybe? I don't know. I remember going to midnight mass. And the food, gods, there was a lot of food. We ate fish on Christmas Eve and then on Christmas day we'd have all of my Mama's family over and have sweet breads and pasta and turkey…Sometimes I miss Italy, even though I don't remember a whole lot of it."

"We could go to mass, if you want." Will had shrugged then, putting down his knife and half-eaten apple.

"Will, you're agnostic and live in a very Protestant area. We don't have to go to mass. Honestly, I'm not even sure I believe in God anymore. Not when we belong to an entirely different pantheon."

"Fair enough, but is there anything you want to do? Maybe not going to church, but, well, I want this Christmas to be about you, too, and not just doing what we usually do."

So Nico had thought about it, wrapped up in a homemade sweater and Will's warm embrace by the fire Harry had lit. The house smelled like pine from the six-feet-tall Christmas tree by the cedar dining room table. Harry and Daphne sat some ways away, Harry reading a book and Daphne knitting in relative, peaceful, silence.

"I'd like to sing some hymns maybe. That would be nice."

Will had whipped out his smartphone, complete with Valdez patented tech that didn't let monsters detect them, and Googled it. That night, the soft sound of Will's voice had lulled him into a peaceful sleep, dreaming about Christmas overlooking the canals in Venice.

He'd been woken up that morning to the smell of French toast and the call to get ready because they'd be leaving for the soup kitchen soon, as per Solace family tradition.

Nico liked the idea of giving back on Christmas, especially to people less fortunate than he was. He knew what it was like to be homeless and alone on Christmas and didn't wish that upon anyone. Also, being completely idle over the holidays had started to get to him and he was happy to have a task to complete.

He watched out of the kitchen window with Will as they moved on to peeling and chopping up carrots and Harry, dressed as Santa Claus, picked up a little girl and sat her on his lap. Harry made a pretty good Santa Claus; Will was really lucky to have a stepdad that generally seemed to be a caring mortal.

"Hey, Nico, I just realized something." Will said. Nico turned away from his peeling for a moment to look at Will, who had turned his gaze upward. Nico followed the blond's line of sight to see what he was looking at: a cardboard cut out of mistletoe that had been suspended from the drop ceiling. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the cooks look at them knowingly.

"This counts, right? Even if it's not the real thing." Will said. He had that hopeful look in his eyes that Nico couldn't say no to.

Instead of answering him, though, Nico took the initiative to wrap one of his pruny hands in the collar of Will's shirt and pull him down for a kiss.

"Merry Christmas, Will." He mumbled, pulling away.

Will had that easy, lopsided grin on his face, "Merry Christmas to you too, Nico. Buon Natale."

"You're accent is horrible—Hey, don't throw carrot pieces at me!"


End file.
